


To Love and Be Loved

by ketchupmaster987



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Post-Canon, im just so happy its canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24587872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ketchupmaster987/pseuds/ketchupmaster987
Summary: [SPOILERS FOR SHE-RA SEASON 5]Horde Prime is defeated, Catra and Adora are officially dating, and everything on Etheria seems to be as it should. Before the Best Friends Squad go on one last long road trip around the universe together, however, they need to take some time to prepare back at Brightmoon, where Catra is forced to face old demons again...
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Kudos: 50





	1. Part 1

Catra poofed into existence just outside of Brightmoon along with the rest of the Best Friends Squad, because according to Glimmer "why walk when you can teleport?". She groaned and held her stomach as Adora put her arm around her shoulder and held her as she waited for the world to steady. At least she had gotten a heads-up from Glimmer this time.

Once the nausea had passed enough for her to straighten, she was able to focus on the sight of the glittering pink castle with it's majestic runestone. Suddenly, a wave of memories came rushing back. Tanks. The smell of smoke. The yells of soldiers. The feel of her claws raking down She-Ra's back. She began to tremble.

"Are you okay?" There Adora was, always so selfless, always so considerate of others.

She took a deep breath. The Brightmoon in front of her returned to her vision, peaceful and serene.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? We can talk about it if you need to."

"I'm fine." She said curtly.

"Catra..."

The brunette attempted to soften her tone. "...Okay, fine. I guess I could talk about it later. Just not right now."

The blonde smiled softly at this. "Okay." She then leaned in and gave Catra a soft peck on the cheek that sent a rush of warmth into her belly and face. "C'mon, let's go catch up with the others," she said, and the two jogged to go rejoin Glimmer in the castle and begin actually planning on how they were going to bring magic back to the universe. They needed a proper plan, after all, even though Adora and her friends had somehow managed to survive this long on spontaneity.


	2. Part 2

Catra frenetically paced the halls of Brightmoon castle. She and the others had only just gotten back that day after defeating Horde Prime, so she hadn't actually been given a room to stay in yet. The pastel pink walls and sparkling tapestries felt cloying, suffocating, constantly reminding her of everything that she had been told to hate her entire life. The cheerful atmosphere seemed to mock her and her bad mood. Even the guards' eyes seemed to follow her as she passed, accusations unsaid worming their way into her psyche. _You don't really belong here, after all you've done_. She was startled out of her own little mental thundercloud by a whiff of a familiar scent. _Adora,_ she realized. Using her keen nose to trace the aroma (it was very old, but her sense of smell was also really good), she let it lead her right to one of the bedrooms.

It was most definitely Adora's room, because instead of the massive oversized ottomans that many of the other rooms seemed to have for beds, it had a much smaller and simpler bed, almost like one of the cots that they slept on back in the Horde. And on a chest of drawers near the window rested the fragments of She-Ra's sword. It hadn't really become Adora's sword in her mind yet, because even though she had become far more comfortable with the thought that her girlfriend was _the_ She-Ra, the sword was different. It was an object, the thing that had created the first rift in her and Adora's relationship, leading to several long years of chaos and turmoil, both inside and out.

But now she almost felt a strange sort of melancholy, as she considered what it must have taken for She-Ra- no, for Adora - to have broken something that probably became an integral part of her identity over those 3 long years. Her estimation of her girlfriend went up slightly as she reflected on this.

"Catra?"

She jumped several inches in the air, tail fluffing out to several times it's size, and wheeled around. There in the doorway stood Adora, a concerned look on her face. At least she was alone. Catra didn't think she could bear the thought of facing any of the other princesses right now, even Glimmer or Bow (even though he wasn't technically a princess).

"Are you alright? You can talk to me, you know" Adora said, going over to sit on the bed and motioning to Catra to do the same, which she did grudgingly. It was such a typical Adora thing to say that it made her heart hurt.

"Yeah, I know, it's just... hard." She winced as she remembered. They were having a meeting to plan out what was gonna happen now that Horde Prime was gone. Most of the other princesses were going to stay back and help Etheria recover from years and years of war. The topic had turned to Salineas, and when it did, Mermista had shot Catra a look so withering that she couldn't bear to be in the meeting room any longer. Even now the mental image made her want to curl up in a ball.

"That's alright. And I'm sure the others will forgive you sooner or later."

Catra leaned up against her girlfriend's shoulder, who then put her arm out to scratch right at the base of her large black catlike ear. Even this small gesture was like balm to her soul.

"So, do you wanna talk about what was bothering you earlier?"

Now that she was feeling a little more relaxed and secure in Adora's grasp, she might try opening up a bit. "... Alright, I guess. Well, the thing is... Being here, I can't stop thinking about how I did so many horrible things, to everyone. Even if the others forgive me, what if I never forgive myself?"

Adora looked a bit taken aback by this confession. "Oh Catra, that's what you were upset about? It's okay to feel that way, and remember, I'm always gonna be here to help you get through what you need to get through. I love you."

At these three simple words, Catra felt most of her anxieties melt away. She felt so weak - no, just so vulnerable - admitting her most private thoughts and feelings, but here in Adora's arms, she felt so safe, so secure, that she never wanted to leave. And she loved Adora for it, for giving her this sense of stability even in this alien, unfamiliar place, just when she needed it most. She had always believed that her feelings for the other girl made her weak, put her at the mercy of others. But, as it turns out, loving and being loved was one of the most powerful things in the world.

"I love you too."


End file.
